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Motorcycle braking systems have varied throughout time, as motorcycles evolved from bicycles with an engine attached, to the prototype motorcycles seen racing in
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
. Most systems work by converting kinetic energy into thermal energy (heat) by friction. On motorcycles, approximately 70% of the braking effort is performed by the front brake. This however can vary for individual motorcycles; longer-wheelbase types having more weight biased rearward, such as cruisers and tourers, can have a`greater effort applied by the rear brake. In contrast, sports bikes with a shorter wheelbase and more vertical fork geometry can tolerate higher front braking loads.
[ For these reasons, motorcycles tend to have a vastly more powerful front brake compared to the rear.
]
History
Early motorcycles which were essentially a bicycle
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bic ...
with a motor attached and did not have any braking system beyond slowing the motorcycle down and putting a foot out. One of the first motorcycles to have any sort of braking mechanism was made by Steffey Motorcycles of Philadelphia in 1902.[ This used a ]spoon
A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for ...
brake operating on the front wheel only.[ Around 1909 ]band brake
A band brake is a primary or secondary brake, consisting of a band of friction material that tightens concentrically around a cylindrical piece of equipment or EMUs to either prevent it from rotating (a static or "holding" brake), or to slow it ...
s were introduced, these used a band contracting round the outside of a drum.[
]Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
*Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
*Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...
motorcycles were available with Research Association disc brakes front and rear on their 1923 RA model, sometimes called TT model, with Freddie Dixon
Frederick William Dixon (21 April 1892 – 4 November 1956) was an English motorcycle racer and racing car driver. The designer of the motorcycle and banking sidecar system, he was also one of the few motorsport competitors to have been success ...
's 1923 sidecar TT-winning machine of that type also having a passenger-operated disc brake for the sidecar wheel.
Drum brakes
A drum brake is a brake that uses friction caused by a set of shoes or pads that press outward against a rotating cylinder-shaped part called a brake drum.
The term ''drum brake'' usually means a brake in which shoes press on the inner surfac ...
were first used on motorcycles in the 1920s and the basic design has not changed much. Originally used for braking both the front and rear wheels, drum brakes have largely been superseded by disc brakes
A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hol ...
or are used for rear-braking only.[
The Lambretta TV125 Series 3 was the first modern production motorcycle with a disc brake.][ ]MV Agusta
MV Agusta (, full name: MV AGUSTA Motor S.p.A., original name: Meccanica Verghera Agusta or MV) is a motorcycle manufacturer founded by Count Domenico Agusta on 19 January 1945 as one of the branches of the Agusta aircraft company near Milan in ...
followed with their limited production 600 cc touring motorcycle announced in 1965 which had a pair of cable-actuated Campagnolo front disc brakes.[ The 1969 ]Honda CB750
The Honda CB750 is an air-cooled, transverse, in-line four-cylinder engine motorcycle made by Honda over several generations for year models 1969–2003 as well as 2007 with an upright or standard riding posture. It is often called the original ...
put motorcycle disc brakes into the mass market, using a hydraulically operated single piston sliding caliper with a solid front disc.[
Early cast wheels were not easily compatible with drum brakes. Sintered pads offer improved heat up time and better wet weather performance. Asbestos was used in the brake pads but its use declined when the negative health impact was discovered.
In 1989 BMW released the first motorcycle to be equipped with anti-lock brakes (ABS). The system fitted to the BMW K100 LT weighed significantly more than the light weight systems fitted to modern motorcycles.][
The front suspension on the ]Yamaha GTS1000
The Yamaha GTS1000 is a sport-touring motorcycle introduced by Yamaha in 1993, sold until 1994 in the United States, and sold elsewhere until 1999. It is notable for its forkless front suspension, specifically a RADD, Inc., front suspension desi ...
released in 1993 was a single sided swingarm that among other characteristics aimed to reduce diving under braking. The design only allowed for a single front disc brake so a comparatively large 330 mm disc was mated to a six-piston caliper, a world first on a production bike.[
The traditional axial caliper mount began to be unreliable when slick tires were introduced, so motorcycles began adopting radially mounted calipers from ]Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
car racing.
Drum brakes
Drum brakes have a self servo effect.[ The most common design is a leading-trailing design. More exotic design had four, eight or sixteen shoes.][ Some motorcycles used finned and/or vented housings for additional cooling, the first of which was AJS.][
]
Disc brakes
Discs
Floating discs have better disc centering with a fixed caliper. A floating disc also avoids disc warping and reduces heat transfer to the wheel hub. Lambretta were the first manufacturer to use floating discs on a volume production motorcycle.
Wavy discs place the mass closer to the axle for reduced inertia,[ better heat dissipation and lower weight.][ They were originally developed for ]Motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
bikes however they have since seen use on road going motorcycles as well.[
]
Sliding versus fixed
Single action calipers have brake pistons that operate on one side only. This type has a floating pin design which allows the piston side of the caliper to push onto the disc surface and pull the other side into contact as well. Dual action, or opposed calipers, are fixed into position to reduce flex. Dual action have opposed pistons either side of the disc to greatly improve the piston area.
Multi piston calipers
Larger rotors can be used to increase braking force, but this also increases weight and inertia. To overcome this brake manufacturers developed calipers four, six and even eight pistons. Increasing the number of pistons increases the swept piston area, allowing for longer, narrower brake pads and smaller discs.
Caliper mounting
Early disc brake calipers were in front of the fork leg on top of the disc. This placed the caliper in an area of high air flow for better heat removal. Calipers on most modern motorcycles are mounted to the rear of the fork leg. This reduces the angular momentum of the fork assembly and improves low speed handling.
Radial mounted calipers
A radial brake caliper is mounted parallel to the forward direction on the braking system, making them more rigid than the traditional axial mount, and not prone to torsional flexing. The lack of slight lateral movement allows more precise braking and crisper feeling brakes. Radial calipers can make modifying an existing disc brake with larger rotors simpler because the entire mounting bracket does not need to be replaced, needing only a spacer between the bracket and the caliper.
Inboard brakes
Honda tried an inboard brake design on a few models such as the VF400F and CBX550F, but reverted to the standard layout. The intent was to improve wet weather performance and have a cleaner appearance. The front brake assembly with vented discs was enclosed in a vented aluminium hub and the caliper was mounted onto the hub and gripped the disc from the outside. This kept the brake assembly dry and allowed the use of cast iron ventilated discs because the shrouding covered any unsightly surface rust on the disc.[ The system would prove to be short lived with all successive models reverting to the standard uncovered layout thereafter.
]
Caliper construction
Traditionally opposing piston brake calipers are made in two halves which are then bolted together. The advantages of this method are ease and the speed of which the pieces can be made. The disadvantage is that they are less resistant to flex under load. Monobloc calipers machined from a single piece of metal are stronger, but much more expensive to make so some manufacturers such as Sumitomo cast the caliper body as one piece and then machine the piston bores externally with the holes created plugged after assembly. This type of caliper design has been used extensively by Yamaha on a wide range of models from its flagship Yamaha YZF-R1
The Yamaha YZF-R1, or simply R1, is a -class sports motorcycle made by Yamaha. It was first released in 1998, undergoing significant updates in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2015, 2018 to the more budget Yamaha FZS600 Fazer
The Yamaha FZS600 Fazer is a sport motorcycle produced by Yamaha between 1998 and 2004. It is the predecessor of the Yamaha FZ6. During its production run, it underwent several changes before being discontinued in 2004 due to European emissions ...
.
Monobloc Brembo first used on the Ducati 1098.
Perimeter brakes
Buell Motorcycle Company
Buell Motorcycles is an American motorcycle manufacturer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1983 by ex-Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell.
Harley-Davidson acquired 49% of Buell in 1993, and Buell became a wholly ow ...
adopted a rim-mounted disc brake that was said to reduce unsprung weight in the wheel-brake system, allowing lighter wheel spokes.[ This style is generically termed a "perimeter brake" for its point of attachment to the wheel, and had been used in smaller numbers by other manufacturers before Buell. They can rarely be found on ]custom motorcycle
A custom motorcycle is a motorcycle with stylistic and/or structural changes to the 'standard' mass-produced machine offered by major manufacturers. Custom motorcycles might be unique, or built in limited quantities. While individual motorcyclis ...
wire-spoked wheels.[
]
Carbon carbon disc brakes
Carbon brakes are used in Moto GP. The friction between the carbon discs and carbon pads produces vast amounts of braking force; far greater braking force than conventional steel discs. They operate at very high operating temperatures, typically between 400 and 1000 °C. Continuous late braking can overheat carbon carbon brakes as they oxidize and wear out faster. The high temperatures needed for carbon carbon brakes to be effective means that they cannot be used in the wet. For wet races the riders have to switch a conventional steel brake set-up. Aluminium lithium alloy, banned for 2015 season
Combined brake systems
Anti-lock braking system
Alternative new systems
Drag-racing motorcycles can reach speeds up to over the course of the race and can use disc brakes in conjunction with parachutes
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
to slow them after the timed run. The Streamliner class of motorcycle land speed record
The motorcycle land-speed record is the fastest speed achieved by a motorcycle on land. It is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs in opposite directions. AMA National Land Speed Records requires 2 passes ...
machines are mandated to have parachutes fitted if the motorcycle is capable of exceeding .
Electric motorcycle
Electric motorcycles and scooters are plug-in electric vehicles with two or three wheels. Power is supplied by a rechargeable battery which drives one or more electric motors. Electric scooters are distinguished from motorcycles by having a st ...
s can use regenerative braking
Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed. In this mechanism, the electric traction mo ...
to both slow the motorcycle down and recharge the batteries at the same.
KTM
KTM AG (Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, formerly KTM Sportmotorcycle AG) is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and sports car manufacturer owned by Pierer Mobility AG and the Indian manufacturer Bajaj Auto. It was formed in 1992 but traces ...
secretly raced a machine with a KERS style regenerative braking system during the 2008 Valenican 125 cc Grand Prix. Although deemed in contravention of the rules, the use of a KERS system preceded its use in Formula 1.
References
{{reflist, refs=
[{{cite web, title=Common Questions: How to Brake on a Motorcycle , author=Basem Wasef , url=http://motorcycles.about.com/od/commonquestions/a/how_to_brake_on_a_motorcycle.htm , access-date=2015-06-09]
[{{cite journal , journal=American Motorcyclist , title=Brake Tech: The ABC's of Stopping , author=Margie Siegal , date=August 1995 , publisher=American Motorcyclist Assoc , issn=0277-9358 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rfcDAAAAMBAJ&q=motorcycle%20drum%20brakes%20racing&pg=PT16]
[{{cite journal , journal=American Motorcyclist , title=Top Gear: Merry Motorcycling , date=December 1992 , publisher=American Motorcyclist Assoc , issn=0277-9358 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RvcDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28]
[{{citation, title=Erik Buell Racing 1190RR-B , author=Wes Siler , date=October 13, 2010, publisher=RideApart, url=https://rideapart.com/articles/details-erik-buell-racing-1190rr-b]
[{{cite web, url=http://www.bikesportnews.com/features/features-detail/knowledge-for-dummies-disc-brakes , title=Knowledge for Dummies: Disc Brakes , author=Bob Gray , publisher=Bike Sports News , date=30 January 2013 , access-date=2015-06-06]
[{{citation, title=Perimeter Disc Rotors Installed On Spoke Wheels, work=Cyril Huze Post, author=Cyril Huze , date=July 15, 2010, url=http://cyrilhuzeblog.com/2010/07/15/perimeter-disc-rotors-installed-on-spoke-wheels]
[{{cite book, title=The Book of the Classic MV Agusta Fours , author=Ian Falloon , date=15 Oct 2011 , publisher=Veloce Publishing Ltd , isbn=978-1845842031, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EYenSvosifUC&pg=PA80]
[{{Cite book , title= Honda Motorcycles , first= Aaron , last= Frank , publisher = MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company , year= 2003 , isbn= 0-7603-1077-7 , page=80 ]
[{{cite book, last=Shoemark, first=Pete, title=Honda CBX550 572.5cc 1982 to 1986: Owners Workshop Manual, date=1989, publisher=Haynes, page=6, isbn=0856969400]
[{{cite web, url=http://classicmotorcycles.about.com/od/technicaltips/tp/Motorcycle-Wheels.htm, title=Classic motorcycles: Motorcycle wheels, author=John Glimmerveen, publisher=]about.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
, access-date=2015-06-03
[{{Cite web, url=http://www.motorcycle.com/how-to/radialmount-calipers-3414.html , title= Radial-Mount Calipers: What's all the hubbub, Bub? , author=Jeff Gehrs , publisher=Motorcycle.com , date=9 October 2002]
[{{cite web , url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a8016/automotive-brakes-get-wavy/ , title=Car Brakes Get Wavy , author=Basem Wasef , date=31 August 2012 , publisher=Popular Mechanics , access-date=2015-06-06]
[{{cite web, title=Motorcycle History: Brakes , author=Tim Watson , date=8 December 2003 , access-date=2015-06-10 , publisher=Ride Apart , url=https://rideapart.com/articles/motorcycle-history-brakes]
[{{citation, work=The Kneeslider, title=Perimeter Disc Brake Rotors, author=Paul Crowe, year=2007, url=http://thekneeslider.com/perimeter-disc-brake-rotors/]
Motorcycle technology
Motorcycle dynamics
Motorcycle safety